Garment hanger



1953 c. N. BERGSTROM 2,650,006

GARMENT HANGER Filed NOV- 4, 8 2 Sheets-Sheet 1' Aug. 25, 1953 Filed Nov. 4, 1948 C. N. BERGSTRQM GARMENT HANGER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 25, 1953 GARMENT HANGER Carl N. Bergstrom, Portland, reg., assignor to Waldorf Paper Products Company, St. Paul, Minn., a corporation of Mirmesota Application November 4, 1948, Serial No. 58,290

My invention relates to an improvement in garment hanger hooks and deals particularly with a type of hook used for supporting a garment hanger formed of paper board, fiber, or other similar material. a V

For several years, garment hangers have been produced which include a cross bar and a pair of upwardly inclined arms connected to opposite ends of the cross bar and connected together by means of a hook. Both the cross bar and the upwardly inclined arms are generally channel shaped in formation and the arms nest over the cross bar in collapsed position of the hanger so that the hanger may be transported economically and stored in a minimum of space. The free ends of the inclined arms are usually connected together by a wire hook which serves the double purpose of connecting the arm ends and forming a means of supporting the hanger. These hooks are usually threaded through aligned openings in the ends of the arms. Considerable time is required for threading the hooks through attachment with the arms by a relative longitudinal movement of the hook so that once the ends of the arms are properly arranged the hook may be merely pulled into place.

A feature of the present invention lies in the provision of a hanger hook having a hook shaped lower end which may accommodate the overlapped ends of the hanger arms. The hook shaped lower end of the hook compresses the channel shaped arms into substantially flat relation and holds the arms firmly engaged together and firmly engaged on the hook.

A further feature of the present invention lies in the provision of a hanger hook having a hook shaped lower end for embracing the extremities of the hanger arms and in providing "a resilient locking element which locks the hanger arms from accidental disengagement. A spring arm having an off-set locking end is provided in the path of entry of the hanger arms into the hook shaped lower extremity of the hook. As th flattened ends of the hanger arms are inserted into the hook shaped lower end of the hanger hook, this resilient arm is urged out of normal position. However, as the ends of the 8 Claims. (Cl. 22388) hanger arms become fully engaged into the hookshaped lower end of the hook, the oif-set end of the resilient arm snaps over the flattened ends of the hanger arms and holds these ends engaged with the hook.

A feature of the present invention lies in the fact that my hook becomes firmly attached to the ends of the arms and resiliently engages these arm ends forming a firm connection between the arms and between the hanger body and the hook. At the same time much of the difiiculty previously involved in assembling the hanger is obviated by my hook construction.

These and other objects and novel features of my invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of my specification:

Figure 1 is an elevation view of a hanger showing my hook attached thereto.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the hook removed from the hanger.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view partly in section showing the manner in which the resilient arm is bent out of normal position during the insertion of the arm ends with the lower portion of the hook.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the position of the hook after attachment with the hanger.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the hanger arm ends in spaced relation showing the general construction thereof.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 but showing the arm ends in overlapping relation.

The hanger A is in general formed similarly to the hangers described in my previous Patent No. 2,296,624. The hanger A includes a cross bar I0 which is foldably connected along U- shaped hangers H and I2 to upwardly inclined arms l3 and I4. The cross member [0 as well as the arms I3 and M are U-shaped or inverted channel shaped in cross section, thus forming a rigid support for garments. In view of the cross sectional shape of the cross bar and the arms, the arms [3 and I4 may be folded into overlapping relation overlying the cross bar l0 during transportation and storage. When the hanger is to be used the arms. [3 and I 4 are folded outwardly from the cross bar In until they intersect at their ends as illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings. The hook B is then attached to the arm ends.

As indicated in Figure 5 of the drawings the overlapping upper ends of the arms [3 and I4 are the shank 3 3.

provided with notches which are aligned in erected condition of the hanger. The sides l5 and I5 of the arm it are provided with aligned notches H and 19 therein spaced from the free end of the arm l3. Similarly the sides 26 and 2i of the arm M are provided with notches 22 and 23 respectively which are oppositely aligned. In practice the ends of the arms are usually unlocked as 11- lustrated in Figure 6 of the drawings by placing on of the sides i5 or iii of the arm t3 between the sides 26 and 2! of the arm E4, or by placing one of the sides 29 or 2| oi the arm M between the sides is and E6 of the arm I3. When thus engaged the notches ll, 5%,:22 and323 are aligned for engagement with the hook B. Itwill also be noted that the ends of the sides of the two arms are rounded so as to permit overlapping of'the arm ends in erected condition of the hanger. The ends of the arm sides l5 and it are rounded as indicated atiid while the ends of the arm sides 29 and 2! are rounded as indicated at 25.

an upwardly directed hook portion 3 generally parallel to the straight shank 3i. This parallel hook portion 3:; is connected by an upper rounded portion to a downwardly extending hook portion 35 substantially parallel to the portion 33 but inclined slightly toward the hook portion 33 at its lower extremity.

At its lower end the hook portion is reversely curved at 38 to provide an upwardly directed arm which is generally parallel to and alongside of The upper end of the upwardly extending hook portion 3? is connected a curved portion 3% to the cit-set extremity Ltd. The off-set extremity terminates in closely spaced relationship to the curved upper ends a l or the hook portions 3 5 and 35.

In other words, the lower end of theihook is reversely bent upwardly to form a hook shaped element designed to embrace the'flattened overlapping ends of the hanger arms. The arm 3'! forms a resilient arm supporting the off-set end in the path of moveeinnt of the overlapped hanger arm ends into and out of the hook shaped lower end of the hook. This resilient arm 2;? allows the oft-set end to be forced out of the path of movement of the overlapped hanger arm ends as they are being drawn downwardly into the hook ing the arms engaged with th hook and preventing the arms from being pulled longitudinally out of the hook shaped lower end of the hook. Thus once: the; hook is in placethe arms are firmly held by the hook and cannotbe-pulled out of engagement therewith.

It will be noted that ,a slight upward indentation 4| is provided in the curved upper end 26 of the hook in substantial alignment with the shank 31. This upward identation is designed to center the hook upon the support end so that the shank of the hook will be located directly below the indentation when the hanger is supporting a garment or the like.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my garment hanger hook and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiments thereof, I desired to have it understood that obvious changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A garment hanger and supporting means including a pair of upwardly converging arms which are generally U-shaped in cross section, said arms having free upper ends, the arms including aligned .notches in opposite sides of each of the arms near the free-ends thereof, the notches of the two arms registering when the ends of the arms are overlapped, the supporting means including a hook having a hook-shaped upper end, and a hook shaped lower end engaging opposite sides of the overlapped arm ends, the lower extremity of the hook shapedilower end extending in said notches for holding said arm ends from separation.

2. The structure described in claim 1 and including means on the hook engaging the arms opposite the lower extremity of th hook shaped lower end thereof for holding said overlapped arm ends engaged insaid hook shaped lower end. I

3. he structure described in claim 1 and including a resilient arm secured to said hook shaped lower end, and means on said arm engaging over said overlapped arm ends opposite the notches therein to hold the lowerextremity of the hook shaped lower end engaged in said notches.

4. A garment. hanger hook including a rounded hook shaped upper .endIand a downwardly extending shank thereupon, a bend at the lower end of said shank connecting said shank with a substantially parallel up-turned portion in spaced parallel relation with said shank, a substantially parallel hook portion connected to said upwardly extending hook portion and terminating at its lower end in a bend similar to and adjacent the bend connecting the shank with the up-turned hook portion, anupwardly extending arm connected to said last named bend andextending upwardly in substantially parallel adjacent relation to said shank-and the off-set end on sai'darm extending toward said downwardly extending hook portion.

fifiThe structure described in claim 4'in which the off-set end is bent downwardly.

'6. A' garment hanger including a cross bar portion and a pair of. arms connected to opposite ends of said cross bar and extending upwardly in convergingrelation'with'the ends ofthearms in overlapping relation, notchesin'the overlap- .ping ends ',of said arms, said notches being. in registry with. one another, and hook' m'eans including a hook shapedupper endand means on its lower end engaging in said registering notches to hold said arms in, overlapping relation, the

which are generally U-shaped in cross section, said arms having free upper ends, the arms ncluding aligned notches in opposite sides of each of the arms near the free end thereof, the notches of the two arms registering when the ends of the arms are overlapped, the supporting means including a hook having a hook-shaped upper end, a hook shaped lower end engagin opposite sides of the overlapped arm ends, the lower extremity of the hook shaped lower end extending in said notches for holding said arm ends from separation, a resilient arm secured to said hook shaped lower end and including an oil-set upper end extending over said overlapped arm ends opposite the notches therein engaged in said lower extremity of the hook shaped lower end to hold said arm ends from disengagement with said hook shaped lower end.

8. A garment hanger and supporting means including a pair of upwardly converging arms which are generally U-shaped in cross section, said arms having free upper ends, the arms including aligned notches in opposite sides of each of the arms near the free ends thereof, the notches of the two arms registering when the ends of the arms are overlapped, the supporting 6 means including a hook having a hook-shaped upper end, a hook shaped lower end engaging opposite sides of the overlapped arm ends, the lower extremity of the hook shaped lower end extending in said notches for holding said arm ends from separation, a resilient arm extending upwardly from said hook shaped end and having a downturned extremity at its upper end, said down-turned extremity engaging against the overlapped arm ends when engaged in said h00k shaped lower end to hold said arm ends thus engaged.

CARL N. BERGS'IROM.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 945,729 Rangnow Jan. 4, 1910 1,277,483 Rogers Sept. 3, 1918 2,111,772 Guillot Mar. 22, 1938 2,151,011 Coney Mar. 21, 1939 2,175,506 Guyer 1- Oct. 10, 1939 2,341,607 Friedler Feb. 15, 1944 2,395,032 Bergstrom Feb. 19, 1946 

